CHAPTER ON
THE DESCRIPTION OF THE JOKING OF SAYYIDINA RASOOLULLAH SALLALLAHU ALAIHE
WASALLAM

It has been proven that Sayyidina
Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihe wasallam joked. It has also been prohibited
to joke. In Tirmizi a narration of Sayyidina Ibn Abbas radiyallahu anhu
is reported wherein it has been prohibited to joke. Imaam Nawawi has compared
the two in this manner and said that excessive joking which will result
in the heart becoming hard, will keep one away from the remembrance of Allah,
may become a means of troubling a Muslim or that which may lessen the dignity
and degrade one. All these are included in the prohibition. If it (joking)
is void of this and is done solely to appease or make someone happy, then
it will be mustahab. Sayyidina Abdullah ibn Haarith radiyallahu anhu says,
“I have not seen anyone who makes a person more cheerful than Rasoolullah
sallallahu alaihe wasallam.” The reason being that the cheerful nature of
Sayyidina Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihe wasallam was more of a source of
happiness than sadness.
There was also a special necessity for Sayyidina Rasoolullah sallallahu
alaihe wasallam to joke. That is due to the personal dignity and greatness
of Sayyidina Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihe wasallam which was of such high
calibre, that even at a distance of a months journey his awe was felt. For
this reason, if Sayyidina Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihe wasallam did not
smile and joke, it would have been impossible due to the awe, for people
to come near him and the doors of reaping benefit would have been closed.
It would have become a habit until the day of Qiyaamah of those who strive
to follow and emulate every deed and habit of Sayyidina Rasoolullah sallallahu
alaihe wasallam purposely not to smile and joke. It would also have
become difficult for those close to a Sheikh (spiritual teacher), to come
close and benefit from him. May Allah shower countless Durood and
blessings on the pure soul who opened the doors of easiness for the Ummah.
Someone told Sayyidina Sufyan ibn Uyaynah radiyallahu anhu, who was a great
Muhaddith, “Joking is also a calamity.”
He replied, “It is a sunnah, and only for those who know its bounds and
also know how to joke in the proper manner.”

Commentary
Every person has two ears. It must have been for a special reason that
he was called ‘Ya dhal udhu-nayn’. For example, he might have had
large ears or a sharp hearing, that he could hear from a distance. The
latter explanation seems more correct.

(226)
Hadith 2

Anas
radiyallahu anhu says, “Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihe wasallam used to
associate with us and joke. I had a younger brother. Rasoolullah sallallahu
alaihe wasallam said to him, ‘Aba Umayr, what happened to the Nughayr?”

Commentary
Nughayr is a type of bird. The ulama have translated it as a white
tailed, red Pigeon. The author of Hayatul Haywaan says that it is
a Nightingale. Imaam Tirmizi says that the gist of this hadith is that
Sayyidinah Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihe wasallam addressed this child
by his kuniyyat (patronymic name). He had adopted an animal (bird)
as a pet. The animal died and as a result, the child became grieved.
In order to cheer him Sayyidina Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihe wasallam
asked him, “What happened to the Nughayr?” Although Sayyidina Rasoolullah
sallallahu alaihe wasallam knew that the animal had died. This hadith
supports the madh’hab of the Hanafis in a masalah. According to
the Shafi’ees, the same rule of hunting applies to the Haram of Madinah
as that of Makkah. According to the Hanafis, there is a difference
between the two. It is not prohibited to hunt in the Haram of Makkah,
whereas it is jaa’iz (permissible) in the Haram of Madinah. Sayyidina
Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihe wasallam not prohihibiting this, is a proof
from among many other proofs, the details of which are mentioned in the
books of fiqh and hadith. There is a difference of opinion whether
Sayyidina Abu Umayr radiyallahu anhu was known by this kuniyyat (patronymic
name) previously or did Sayyidina Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihe wasallam
address him first by this kuniyyat? Some ulama have extracted more
than a hundred masaa-il and benifits from this hadith. May that
soul be sacrificed that from a sentence of a joke, hundreds of masaa’il
are solved. And may the Almighty Allah fill the graves of the great
ulama with nur (light) who have given such great service to each and every
hadith of Sayyidina Rasoolullaah sallallahu alaihe wasallam and extracted
so many massa’il, kept it safe and spread it. A question arises
here that it is also mentioned that the animal was kept in a cage and
the child played with it. This is cruelty to an animal, which is
prohibited in the hadith. An answer to this is, to cage an animal
and to play with it to keep oneself happy, is not cruelty. To harm
and to be cruel to an animal is a different thing. For this reason
the ulama have written that it is only permissable for that person to
keep an animal who will not mis-handle or be cruel to an animal, but care
for it properly. It is not permissible for a hard-hearted child
or one who does not understand animals to keep them.

Commentary
The reason that the Sahaabah radiyallahu anhum asked is because it had
been prohibited to joke. Likewise, it is also against the dignity
of great people to do so. Sayyidina Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihe
wasallam informed that it has nothing to do with my cheerfulness.
This has been discussed at the beginning of the chapter.

(228)
Hadith 4

Anas
ibn Malik radiyallahu anhu relates that a person requested Rasoolullah
sallallahu alaihe wasallam that he be given a conveyence. Rasoolullah
sallallahu alaihe wasallam replied, “The baby of a camel shall be given
to you.”
The person said, “What shall I do with the baby of a camel O’ Messenger
of Allah?” (I want one for a conveyence).
Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihe wasallam replied, “Every camel is the baby
of a camel.”

Commentary
The person thought that he would be given a small camel which is unfit
for riding. In this hadith besides joking, it also points to the
fact that a person should carefully listen and understand what the other
person is saying.

(229)
Hadith 5

Anas
ibn Malik radiyallahu anhu reports, “A resident of the wilderness whose
name was Zaahir (ibn Hiraam Al-Ashja’ee), whenever he visited Rasooluallah
sallallahu alaihe wasallam he brought with him presents of the wilderness,
vegetables etc., and presented it to Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihe wasallam.
When he intended to leave Madinah, Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihe wasallam
used to present him with provisions of the city. Once Rasoolullah sallallahu
alaihe wasallam said, ‘Zaahir is our wilderness, and we are his city.’
Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihe wasallam was attached to him. Zaahir radiyallahu
anhu was not very handsome. Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihe wasallam once
approached him while he was selling his merchandise. Rasoolullah sallallahu
alaihe wasallam caught him in between the arms from the back in such a
manner that he (Sayyidina Zaahir radiyallahu anhu) could not see him.
Zaahir radiyallahu anhu said, ‘Who is this?, leave me.’ But when he saw
with the corner of his eye that it was Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihe wasallam,
he straightened his back and began pressing it to the chest of Rasoolullah
sallallahu alaihe wasallam (For as long as he gained this opportunity
it was better than a thousand gifts). Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihe wasallam
then said, ‘Who will purchase this slave?’ Zaahir radiyallahu anhu replied,
‘O’ Rasool of Allah, if you shall sell me, you will be selling a defective
thing, and will earn a very little sum.’ Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihe
wasallam said, ‘No, you are not defective in the sight of Allah, but very
valuable.”

Commentary
Sayyidina Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihe wasallam coming and embracing
him from the back and covering the eyes of Sayyidina Zaahir radiyallahu
anhu was being humorous to him. This saying that who shall purchase him
was also in joking. Because Sayyidina Zaahir radiyallahu anhu was not
a slave but a free man. Some of the commentators have written that this
hadith is about joking, but in reality it is full of virtues and
hidden benefits. When Sayyidina Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihe wasallam
found him engrossed in selling his merchandise. Sayyidina Rasoolullah
sallallahu alaihe wasallam feared that because he was too busy selling,
it would keep him away from the remembrance of Allah. Therefore Sayyidina
Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihe wasallam took hold of him from behind, and
the embrace would be a means of returning him to the remembrance of Allah.
As a reminder he said, ‘Is there anyone who will purchase this slave?’,
it is because the person who is so engrossed in things other than the
remembrance of Allah, is like a slave of his own desires. The embrace
of Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihe wasallam totally awakened his faculties
for the remembrance of Allah. This is why Sayyidina Rasoolullah sallallahu
alaihe wasallam gave him the good news that his status in the eyes of
Allah is not low but that of an elevated one.

(230)
Hadith 6

Hasan
Basri radiyallahu anhu says that an old woman came to Rasoolullah sallallahu
alaihe wasallam and made a request, “O’ Messenger of Allah make Dua that
Allah grants me entrance into Jannah.”
Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihe wasallam replied, “O’ Mother, an old woman
cannot enter Jannah.” That woman started crying and began to leave. Rasoolullah
sallallahu alaihe wasallam said, “Say to the woman that one will not enter
in a state of old age, but Allah will make all the women of Jannah young
virgins. Allah Ta’aala says, “Lo! We have created them a (new) creation
and made them virgins, lovers, equal in age.” (Surah Waaqi’ah, 35-37).